A Story of Joy
by Sparkler Girl
Summary: What if the Doctor had one last companion before changing into Matt Smith? What if he didn't want another companion? Ever? A hopeful entrance...maybe a bit of fluff. Set straight after Journey's End.
1. One in, One Out

**Disclaimer: Doctor Who, I do not own.**

A/N: Hi everyone! Sorry I did not write anything for a while, it's been so busy with Uni work and everything. I thought of this just before I went to sleep last night. I don't know whether to keep it as a one shot or to add more chapters. It depends how many reviews I get! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it!

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One in, one out. Quite tired and only mindful of his comfy seat, the only simile that came to his mind was Piccadilly Circus. _It's like Piccadilly Circus in here!_

The Doctor rubbed his tired eyes with one hand, daring to breath again and again. His machine matched his pain; the whirring echoed in old age. It's space would become packed once more.

Her voice was distant, he didn't even look up. He didn't have the energy to speak back. One case after another was slammed next to the console by his feet. She would rush back outside, retrieve another of her belongings and run back in. He didn't care to stand, perhaps the running was catching up with his age.

_Slam! _He finally looked up, slowly removing his hand away from his face. The door was shut and she was finally inside. She hadn't noticed how tired he was; she set about exploring the TARDIS if he didn't mind, taking a couple of cases with her. Alone again by the console, the Doctor thought deeply in the silence.

She was just like Rose. In her sweeping long hair, the blonde tussles reminded him of the beautiful young Wolf that he had loved…still loved. Her youthful energy, her questions, her big bright eyes as they set on the TARDIS console for the first time. She was just like Martha. He hadn't realised that until just now. She was smart, independent, always bold. She had only just finished university and was in the middle of her Gap year working as a teacher's assistant. The Doctor rested his head on his knuckles, leaning to one side. Donna's face swam into view. Donna before the terrible loss. Her cracking humour, her impatience, her silly little habits. He smiled to himself and a tear ran down his cheek.

Yes, she was just like Donna too. Loud, bubbly, fiery and inspirational. But not like the Donna he knew. He sighed and sat up, placed his face in his hands and tried not to think about her.

One in…one out. Could he do this anymore? Could he take the pain after…departure? One way or another, Joy would leave him. The events leading up to their meeting, their battle against the alien threat and her decision to go with him was like looking into one long drawling diary entry. 10AM met beautiful woman. Lunchtime: Confronted alien threat. 5PM: Fought deathly battle on the roofs of Westminster. 8PM: I go back to TARDIS after successful victory. 8.10PM: Beautiful woman demands to come with me. I hesitate, thinking about Donna. 8.20PM: She's hugging me and letting me know she'll back in half an hour with her things.

He liked the company, no doubt about that; but the heartache was ten times worse then facing monsters. Sometimes he wished he was back in the good old days when companions would give him notice that they were leaving, or back in the days when they left without getting too attached to him. However, seeing Sarah Jane again and Jack and even Mickey – well – how he never regretted meeting them. He would definitely be seeing them again some time in the future (or past). Martha would always be present. How proud he was of his companions. Would he be proud of Joy?

He stood up. He walked around the TARDIS, pushing buttons and checking scanners. The usual. His expression said it all; another loss, another heartache to cope with. And another girl to fit the shoes of the former, most fantastic companions. He shrugged his shoulders, sending the TARDIS in flight. _What am I doing? _He cupped his face into his hands again, ready to give up.

Footsteps… 'Doctor! Where are we going?'

He pulled a lever with a _slam _but didn't look up. 'You choose,' he muttered solemnly.

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Thanks for reading! Please Review!


	2. The Hurt of Him

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. All rights to BBC.**

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'Doctor! Where are we going?' Joy had returned to the console room, her blonde locks jumping around her face as she ran back in.

'You choose.'

'But…' Joy's large brown eyes hovered over the Doctor's hands, patiently playing the machine. 'You said something about the next solar system! That's what you said, you said you'd take me to the solar system where the first humans would make a settlement! You said, Doctor!'

While she spoke, Joy paced the console, waving her arms about like Donna would do when she got excited about a new adventure. She might have said something else, or nothing at all. He kept his eyes, like his hands, pressed down on those old buttons.

A hand was on his shoulder. He looked up. Joy was twenty two, possibly the same age as Rose, he didn't think to ask Rose how old she was now, with the complexities of a Parallel Universe running ahead and all. So, Joy was twenty two and training to be a school teacher. Something like Primary school. They met in Trafalgar half a day ago, just passing each other, each with their own destination, their own purpose to fulfil.

'Doctor, is that where we're going?' Joy expressed a question yet in her voice there was hesitancy. Could she know what was wrong with him? Did she realise the hurt in him? The Doctor would, of course, give her an answer. She deserved that much.

'I'm setting co-ordinates for the Galleria solar complex, yes…' The Doctor said, forcing a smile.

Five seconds passed, perhaps, and then Joy left him to move to the other side of the console. 'Great!' She looked at the Time console with admiration, as it rose and fell. He hunched his shoulders and cleared his throat. The machine's noise dipped in volume and the TARDIS gave a little shake.

'Just outside,' The Doctor indicated by pointing his finger to the door, which he used next to scratch his nose. Like he was taking all the time in the world. She looked in that direction but didn't move to go out.

'What's it like?'

'Like? Like any other solar system in the Milky Way galaxy…'

'Doctor,' for the first time, Joy looked frustrated by his frosty charm. 'Explain it to me like I've _never _gone through space and time, please.'

'I hate making out like I know everything!' The Doctor folded his arms and sat on his seat. 'It's a burden being a Time Lord, you know? It's the price I pay for saving a developing planet – babysitting _another _of its ordinarys!' He regretted saying it as soon as the words left his mouth. He screwed up his eyes and placed his hands through his hair and clutched at the roots tightly.

'I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!' He was looking at the floor.

Joy wasn't ready for being insulted. Still, she was only into her first hour as a Time Traveller and still reeling from culture shock. She sat next to him.

'It's alright.' She gazed at the hunched figure beside her in the long brown coat. 'We can go somewhere else if this place bores you…'

'It's not that…'

Joy nodded. 'Yeah, alright. Take you're time. You're a Time Lord after all, must have plenty of it!'

'I'm sorry, I have to…I have to…' The Doctor sat up, went pale and started roaming the console room like a man lost in the shadows of his darkest thoughts. 'It's hard to explain, I've recently lost all of my friends,' he said it with such ordinary perception that Joy was more shocked about this then when she first set eyes on his Sonic Screwdriver. 'They're all safe, not dead, just back where they should be, but Donna, it's not easy to, I need bananas-!'

He stopped ranting and dug deep in his pockets. Joy was watching, blinking. He was struggling to find any yellow fruit in his overcoat and stomped his foot. 'Who ate my banana?!'

Joy stood up and felt frightened. 'You were fine today, Doctor!'

The Doctor ruffled his hair, muttering under his breath. 'Did I take my coat off at any point when Jack was around?!'

'Doctor!'

'Hang on? What's this? Oh…it's a carrot. Blast.'

'DOCTOR!'

He turned round, facing Joy's furious but desperate expression.

'Listen,' she breathed deeply, 'you promised me that we could go and see this solar system. I was under the impression you were letting me come with you. Now it seems I'm not the only one in a long while. If you think I'm here to replace anyone, then, I'll go.' She relaxed her shoulders, with her eyes.

He was speechless, realising, what a fool he'd been, how self centered. She went to stand by the remaining of her bags at the console. 'You could always, you know, tell me about other friends of yours, if it makes you feel better! I'd be interested to know!'

'I'm not looking for replacements,' he said quietly. 'I've had the most fantastic, _fantastic _people you could ever hope to meet on board this TARDIS. You have to know that when they left…they each took a piece of me. In another universe, dead or happily unaware that they never met me…they're still part of _my _life. And _always _present in this TARDIS. And in me.' He stopped and surveyed her, tears filling his eyes as he remembered the last few glorious years of his life side by side with those extraordinary people. 'And each time I met them, I never imagined they could live up to the last,' he smiled and shook his head, not really looking at anything. Joy stared into his eyes, knowing that he was gazing into the past.

In half an hours time, Joy was pacing the empty room in the deep realms of the TARDIS. A room which she decided would be her domain. She prayed and _prayed _it wasn't the room of a former companion. She chewed her nails; a bad habit she should have quit ages ago. After that moving speech, the Doctor stayed silent. Then he swept out of the room. Joy followed suit but didn't pursue him. He was a strange man. But now at least she could understand what had plagued the moments in the short time she had with him, those silent little moments when he became cold and sullen.

Shortly, she was in the console room again to see if the Doctor had returned. He had. And he looked worse for wear, face sticky with recent tears, hair a mess and yet he looked more cheerful.

When she approached, he put hands in pockets and grinned. 'Want to see Galleria then, or what?' Big Grin.

Her smile widened. 'I'd love to see it!'

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Would _you_? Please review and tell me what you think! I was going to make the Doctor get rid of her, but we'll see. I'll give her a chance. :)


	3. Getting to Know You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. All rights to BBC.**

'Want to see Galleria then, or what?'

Her eyes swiftly moved to the door and then settled on the Doctor's face. One big smile. 'I'd love to see it!'

'Right then,' the Doctor seemed to have busied himself immensely in the last half hour; he looked drained yet alive, energetic yet bored. The Sonic Screwdriver was out of his pocket and it was fondly embraced in the Doctor's hand as he ran to the open world outside that door. He stopped before he moved to open it, Joy hot on his heels.

'What year is it again?' He murmured, mostly to himself. Joy stood back and let him think. She could wait another moment before she stepped into her first out of world adventure. She chewed on her lip unknowingly, watching him think.

She remembered only a few hours ago, _wait a minute_…she was in space now, on a new world. And the Doctor didn't even know the year yet. So theoretically she had met the Doctor _lifetimes _ago, _generations _had passed in the blink of an eye. It felt weird. More then that, yet less…an out of body experience.

'IT'S 3454!' The Doctor yelled out suddenly. She jumped a mile, put her hand over her heart and gave him a murderous look.

'You idiot! You nearly made me jump out of my skin!' She barked.

The Doctor faced her, he gave her one of those looks that Rose would have known well; a 'what-are-you-suggesting-do-you-not-think-I-know-a-giraffe-when-I-see-one' look.

'You can't jump out of your skin, it's impossible,' he raised an eyebrow at her. 'I think,' he trailed off. 'RIGHT,' he breathed in sharply, 'Joy Parker…welcome to the world of tomorrow – today!' He grinned and swung the door open, stepping outside.

Joy was hesitant; the Doctor trusted what was outside before he even looked. He just went out without even blinking. She couldn't see anything from inside; it was brilliantly white like a glare. But it didn't hurt her eyes. 'Leave the TARDIS?' She thought daringly.

'Come on! Where are you?' The Doctor called from outside somewhere. Joy raised her head and stepped out, following his suit.

It took her about a moment, blinking furiously, to understand what she was seeing in front of her. Galleria – a whole new world, far in the future, far away from home…beautiful beyond words.

Everything she sensed was rich with a strange yet familiar feeling. A warm breeze swept up her hair; it was sea breeze, definitely, stroking her cheekbones and wrapping across her skin. She heard wildlife, like animal noises but distant and harmonious. It reminded her of creatures she watched in documentaries, lost long ago with the dinosaurs. She dared to open her mouth and instantly her tongue tasted the new air; honeycomb and peppermint. It was delicious.

What attracted her most was the smell and the view. Linking with the taste of sweets she breathed in fruity wonders, easily placing in her mind a Caribbean feast. Now the view…was breath taking. The Doctor stood by her side, in front of the TARDIS and smiled at her.

Rose's first impression of the year 5 billion when they touched down on Platform 1. As the shields opened up to reveal the sun glowing, dominating, over existence. That was what Joy looked like now; taking in wonder and learning. He looked back at the scene.

It was nearly dusk; a scarlet red sun a little bigger then the Earth's was just touching the horizon, a horizon lined with alien trees, their shadows trailing longer across the sandy ground as the sun set. Apart from the odd sand dune and peaking purple mountains in the west, the ground was empty and flat. But the wind picked up the sand grains and they danced in the sky like bees. Up above the sky was brushed with clouds of amber, stains of satin blue sky and echoes of red from the sun.

Joy looked all around, she could not take in everything at once and looked like she could have stayed here all night. The Doctor pointed up at the sky. 'Look!' He explained, she followed the path of his finger, 'up there! See that planet?'

She could see a planet. And it looked very close! Just smaller then the sun that was setting, a dark green and orange sphere trailing through space angelically.

'That's the solar system's third planet from the sun. It's called Newton but not inhabitable. It's like Jupiter but smaller!' He explained, grinning up at said planet. 'It was close enough to be classed as Galena's twin but the experts concluded that it was not close enough, nor had hardly any physicality's of a twin planet.'

'Galena is…?' Joy asked.

'The name of the planet we're standing on. The human race's first habited planet outside of your home solar system! It and this new solar system are named after that glorious scientist, Galileo Galilei! Twinny over there is named after Issac Newton, of course!'

Joy gazed at Galena. 'It's so beautiful Doctor!' She sighed.

'Yes, it is, isn't it?' He grinned, strolling across the desert, hands in his pockets. 'I've been trying to come here for years but then I always got another idea and followed it istinctively, ending up all over the place.'

Joy ran over to him and walked beside him, they were heading towards the horizon, though what was out there, Joy had no idea – it looked like a never ending desert! 'You left this place on the end of your list for a special reason?' She asked curiously. _Or did he just not want to bother with exciting places he took his former companions anymore?_

'What list, what?' he asked, 'I've not got a list, I'm not reaching the end of my life and thinking about all the places I've not been and then going there. That's not what I do!' He walked ahead and Joy felt as though he didn't want to talk at the moment.

A few hours ago, when they met and they were dealing with that London alien threat, they had a few quiet moments when he poured out his troubles to her. _Do you remember those planets in the sky a few months back? _He said to her, _A spaceship hitting Big Ben, Christmas? Well…I was there, fighting for Earth, I'm not trying to be a hero, I just step in and help…_She was awed by what he told her (which wasn't much) about his TARDIS, a couple of mentions of Donna, Martha and Rose…that he was an alien Time Lord.

She wanted to know more, sick of her job as a Teacher's assisant now she understood the universe better. She wanted to learn what was out there, see it like he saw, she wanted him to be her guide through the stars. What an amazing Gap year that would be! And when he agreed to take her for a few trips, when he agreed that she was good in helping him today, when he explained he could travel in time so she could return in the blink of an eye, she rushed home to pack her things.

Back on Galena, she watched the Doctor's stiff back ahead and now that she was getting used to being in space, she realised that he didn't look the happiest man when she came aboard.

She stopped. He didn't; he didn't even notice. 'I'm sorry.' She said – it echoed strangely through the vast space they were travelling.

He turned round and stopped. 'Sorry? Erm, for what?'

'I'm sorry that I came. You don't seem to want me here!' She shrugged her shoulders. 'I don't want to intrude on you, it's not my place. If you want to take me back then you may, but just so you know,' she walked up to him – the Doctor stood with a grim face. _I've done it again_. Treating Joy second best just like with Martha.

Joy appraoched him, stood close to him and gazed into his tired eyes, 'I wouldn't have missed this for the world!' She smiled sadly.

It hurt him to have upset her, this youthful and helpful girl that deserved a chance to shine. He touched her hand. The sun was almost below. The sky was glittering like a lake in its final hours of the day.

'Then I'll have to make sure it's not worth missing!' He grinned and led her across the sand towards the almost absent sun; a faintish blood red dip on the border between heaven and Galena.

He was a weird one, she thought happily. Quite eccentric and inordinary – just like Galilei.

The sun vanished, leaving them in a twilight sky, alien clouds reflecting any visible light like a watery world.


	4. Behind the FenceGoodbye

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. All rights to BBC.**

They walked through paradise, an extremely alien paradise that could have swept over sand covering an entire planet. He cleared his throat, _might as well break the tension_.

'In the year 3450, the human race landed on Galena…over here somewhere…and decided, once they checked the oxygen levels and atmosphere temperatures it was the perfect first settlement for Earth's inhabitants.'

Joy nodded along, glad that he was finally talking. She smiled sweetly and checked his expression – still sad.

'OK, so the human race finds this planet…what happens then? Half the planet uproots themselves? Would help with carbon footprint, I suppose…'

'Yeah,' the Doctor replied, 'but the process takes like two hundred years.'

They were approaching the base of one of the purple mountains. Underneath a shadowy cliff was what looked like a base which gave Joy the impression of one of those scientist colonies in Antarctica. A small metal cube with satellites and solar panels attached made it seem very clinical and futuristic. 'And over here are the first to 'root' themselves,' he muttered happily.

Joy watched his frown turn slowly into a smile. He looked very _proud_.

'Wonderful creatures you are,' he whispered. 'Absolutely the best. There you go, diving into unknown territory and yet you stick at it…to the very end.' He sighed and nodded. 'To the very end.'

Joy flinched and felt the cold air whip around her – the last rays of sunlight had vanished and the air seemed colder to anything on Earth.

'Fancy a sandwich?' The Doctor asked out of the blue. Joy was wrapping her coat tighter around her, rubbing her arms for warmth.

'If it keeps me warm yeah,' she blinked at the settlement base. 'Can we go in?'

'Nah,' he said cheerfully, 'leave them to it – we don't want the first human pioneers to be startled by our presence. Let them bask in their own happy fulfilment!' And then he started walking back to the TARDIS. Joy felt like she had had a pleasant treat whipped away from under her nose!

She shuffled back to walk side by side with the Doctor. 'When you said you were taking me in time and space, I thought we were gonna actually _see _it, not stand behind the fence like a tourist.'

'You want experience, you've got to earn the credit,' he said.

'I thought I _did_!' She muttered angrily. 'You would have been dead on the streets of London if I wasn't there to save your life!'

She remembered that oddly stormy spring day, walking home from work at the local school. A flash of brown overcoat rushed past her and she recognised it…for the Doctor had been at her school that morning. He was yelling, 'DON'T-DON'T-DON'T-DON'T-DON'T! ARGH!'

She cried out, 'you all right?' But he had whipped behind a street corner and so she followed him. All of a sudden there was a huge black and red transparent creature looming over her and the Doctor threw her to the ground.

She raced with him to Westminster where he was explaining frantically that it would blow up the world and he was tearing away at material in his mouth, something he said would help weaken it.

Then they were climbing up the roof…he told her to go home, it would be dangerous. She said, 'I don't think so. Do you think I'd rather have my tea now I know _that_ thing is gonna destroy any minute? Give me that stuff!'

So, in desperation, and partly because deep down he knew he needed help, he threw her the latex-like material and shouted out, 'right, I'm going to give it a chance first!'

She thought he was mad. Absolutely, crazy, over the top, mad!

30 seconds later he was ordering her to throw the latex at it. As soon as they swung it into the creature's approaching mouth, it exploded like a bomb. The Doctor threw himself on top of her _again _and knocked her behind a ventilator to safety.

They giggled insanely for ten minutes after that.

A full moon was beaming over London that night and once the duo landed on ground, after trailing an escape ladder, he pointed out an endless parade of police cars arriving at the scene. 'I'd better go.' He gave her a nod and was on his way. She made him stop. Asked him where he was going. What was he doing next. He was quiet. He _realised_ that it was happening again. He was never coming back to London, he thought. Better keep to Cardiff.

But she wouldn't stop harassing him and he caved in.

The Doctor remembered that night, yes. And Joy had shown her worth and bravery. The TARDIS was coming into view. 'The thing is, Joy, I like to travel alone. I believe I do, really. When I have someone with me, yes, OK, I have the best time in the world but it also has its consequences. Rose and Donna wanted to stay with me forever, for the rest of their lives. They were given a chance to stay with me until they died, until something happened which stopped that from happening. When Martha left it felt like she took the right decision. Once you start travelling with me, its hard to go back home. She was amazing, taking that choice and settling down.'

'I never knew that,' said Joy, 'I'm so sorry. I was only planning on going on a few trips with you…but yes, I guess it is addictive.'

'If people like Martha realised that this life is what it is for destroying normal lives, they wouldn't want to come with me,' he lowered his gaze and blinked sadly.

Joy didn't know what to say…she reached out her arm and hugged him. He wasn't ready for this – but he hugged her back. She patted him on the back and moved away.

'My God, you're complicated!' She joked, giving him a big smile.

He smiled weakly and nodded. 'Spur of the moment,' he muttered. 'You can go home if you want, I'm probably not as fantastic as you first made me out to be!'

'Don't be daft!' Joy giggled. 'Men have their moments, don't they? Come on…' She led him to the TARDIS doors, opened them and they stepped into the console room.

She sat down and watched him contol the flight simulater quietly. 'You should take me back home then, Doctor. It's not fair to treat each other with all this suspense. I mean, yeah, it's quite exciting but I know you need some time to yourself before you make any hasty decisions!'

He stopped working and looked at her, behind those cute brown eyes, Joy decided he was thinking deeply about it.

'I will take you back home,' he said, turning back to the controls. Her heart fell into her stomach.

'But…'

She raised her head up and smiled expectedly.

He leaned against the console, folding his arms. He had taken his overcoat off now and looked more relaxed. 'I will come back for you. When I've cleared my head. I'll show you the universe properly and we'll have the best of times!' He grinned widely and looked settled.

Joy jumped up and screamed with delight. 'Thank you, thank you, thank you!' She gave him a mighty hug and he returned it. 'Hey…' he smiled gratefully. 'I don't know when, this thing can be unpredictable sometimes…' He fiddled with buttons and the TARDIS landed the morning after the night before in Joy's world.

'You promise though, don't you?' Joy asked.

'I promise you properly, yes,' he smiled. One last hug and Joy took her suitcases back out of the TARDIS and onto her front porch.

'It will give me a chance to tell my mum a made up excuse anyway!' She laughed. He leaned against the door.

'Joy, many years might pass for me until we meet again. But for you it could only be a week. I might chance for the better…be a more able guide instead of just a brooding idiot.'

She smiled, knowing he was off for some gruelling adventures on his own.

'I hope I helped you out a bit,' she said.

'You were brilliant.' He said. He smiled, turned, and was inside his machine. The door closed and it rumbled, squealed and disappeared before the next car drove past her house.

Joy was stood on her porch, looking at the spot where she last saw him. She tucked a blonde strand behind her ear and bent to pick up the first of many cases at her feet.


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